Shawyer dissertation May 2008 final version - The University of ...

war. The exorcists demonstrated a flaw in the system: just as the Pentagon refused tolevitate, the government wasn’t doing what they as citizens wanted.Despite the humorous theatricality of the Pentagon exorcism that revealed theundemocratic nature of the system, the performance was nevertheless bound by thesystem’s own rules. Just as the medieval carnival-goers were framed by the religiouscalendar that limited their riotous behavior as only acceptable during pre-Lenten times,the Pentagon exorcists were limited by the frame of the March permit. Washingtonauthorities allowed the exorcism as part of the anti-war demonstration, but only on aweekend, and only in the approved north parking lot area. The Pentagon exorcistsdemonstrated a hippie-like rejection of the Establishment, but yet were still forced tofollow the Establishment’s ruling on when, and where, they could protest their dissent.Because it was difficult to escape from authorized frames that allowed for dissentonly in limited measures, the Yippies encouraged constant theatrical intervention againstthe system every day if possible. They wanted to continue the spirit of the carnivalesqueinto everyday life, in the hopes that they could continue to reveal flaws in the systemwhile also escaping the frames of permits. They continually urged all Yippies to treatevery day as an opportunity for action. “Life is theater and we are the guerrillas attackingthe shrines of authority,” Rubin argued at a meeting of the Socialist Workers Party(“Walrus!” 6). As guerrillas, the Yippies did not need to wait for approved confrontationson battlefields chosen by the Establishment like weekend rallies in assigned parking lots.Instead, they confronted the system in sneak attacks. Hoffman advises his troops:92